Primycin is a macrolide antibiotic (Nature, 174,1105/1954) showing antibacterial activity and it is the active ingredient of the commercially available EBRIMYCIN.RTM. gel. It exhibits an outstanding antibacterial activity and no resistance has developed against it yet. On the basis of these advantageous properties it is widely used, however, at the present, it is formulated only as an alcoholic gel and used for surfacial treatments.
The development of other pharmaceutical formulations is very limited as primycin is insoluble or only poorly soluble in water and in different organic solvents.